Can't Share the Full Article? Here's What I Can Do Instead

How to get value from paywalled articles-ethically and efficiently

If you work in science, you hit paywalls and copyright limits all the time. AI assistants can't reproduce full articles word-for-word, but they can still save you hours with smart summaries, structured notes, and targeted answers.

Here's how to ask for help that respects copyright and still moves your research forward.

What your AI assistant can do

• Summarize an article in one sentence, a short paragraph, or a detailed bullet list.
• Extract key findings, methods, limitations, datasets, and open questions.
• Draft titles, meta descriptions, or social posts for lab updates and newsletters.
• Answer specific questions about the topic, theory, or methodology.
• Restructure text you paste (headings preserved, plain text only, or body content).
• Quote up to ~90 characters from the original text if you confirm that's what you want.

Prompts you can copy

• "Give me a 5-bullet takeaway list focusing on methods, data, and limitations."
• "One-sentence summary for a lab Slack update, then a 120-word paragraph for context."
• "List 3 practical implications for materials design and 3 for clinical translation."
• "Extract variables, experimental setup, and evaluation metrics from this excerpt: [paste text]."
• "Suggest 5 short titles and a meta description for our group blog post on this topic."
• "Compare these findings to prior work in 2021-2024 without quoting. Cite sources if possible."
• "If allowed, provide a single quote under 90 characters that captures the main claim."

Good practice for researchers

• Ask for summaries and paraphrases, not verbatim reproductions of paywalled text.
• Keep direct quotes short (under ~90 characters) and confirm you want a quote.
• Cite the original source in your notes, slides, and manuscripts.
• When you have access rights, paste sections you can share and request structured extraction.
• Review fair-use basics and licensing options for reuse: Fair use overview * Creative Commons licenses

A fast workflow you can run after reading an article

• Write 2-3 research questions you care about (e.g., "Does this scale beyond n=100?").
• Ask for a 7-bullet summary focused on methods, data, results, and caveats.
• Paste your highlighted sections and request extraction of variables, metrics, and thresholds.
• Ask for 3-5 testable follow-ups or replications you could run with your current resources.
• Have it draft a 150-word lab note and 3 slide bullets for your next meeting.
• If needed, request a short quote (under 90 chars) to capture the key claim-only if appropriate.

Limits to expect

• No full-text reproduction of copyrighted articles that you didn't supply.
• Access varies: the assistant may not see paywalled content unless you paste it.
• Details can be missed-always cross-check critical facts and numbers.
• Be explicit about the format you want (bullets, one-liner, structured fields).

If you have access rights, get more specific

• Paste the abstract or sections and ask: "Preserve headings; extract aims, methods, sample, metrics, results, limitations."
• Request CSV-style outputs for variables, datasets, and parameter ranges.
• Ask for contrasting interpretations and potential failure modes for reproducibility.
• Turn notes into a checklist for replication or a short protocol draft.

Level up your prompts and workflows

If you want ready-made prompt packs and role-based workflows for research teams, explore: Prompt Engineering resources and AI courses by job function.